“If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairytales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairytales.” – Albert Einstein

Thank you, Spidey for another thought-provoking quote.

He knew I have been thinking about reading for a long while and coupled with the amazing posts about reading to children from Jennie, over on her blog, it spurred me on to chase for something I truly believe in.

Jennie is a kindergarten teacher in the USA and I always marvel at her posts about the importance of reading to her class, where she even reads chapter books to her extremely young children.

I’ve often said to her that I would dearly love to do that, but with the intake of children we have in our nursery, the English language knowledge is so low that introducing them to picture books, where they have a wealth of imagery to help their understanding of the words I then read is more than enough stimulation. ( I haven’t really mentioned this year’s intake, but suffice to say, sitting for a five-minute story, complete with all the voices, and props, is tough… let alone a chapter book!)

However, as I was last year, I am also teaching in the Reception class which is the next year up.

Something our deputy head had said a few years back really stays in my mind. Upon being told that some older children, because of their English being poor, were taken out of class during spelling time, to concentrate on the simple cvc words, meaning they missed out on hearing new vocabulary, said “Let them stay. Let them hear those words. They may not know them now but somewhere in their subconscious, those words will sit, and one day they will be able to use them too. Yes, test them on the simple, but expose them to everything.”

Makes sense.

I took the bull by the horns last week, and mentioned to my Phase Leader that I really felt reading chapter books to the children, alongside picture books, would be really beneficial. We would be introducing them to new vocabulary, and hopefully watering the seeds in their imagination with the words, so they could learn to build images up in their minds, and hopefully, ignite their curiosity so that great conversations are started, after listening to the books we choose to read.

Thankfully, she was really excited about the idea. We are starting a topic about Bears next week, so I suggested Winnie the Pooh by A.A, Milne. I still have my box set of books from my childhood to read to them! Possibly even Paddington Bear if we get through it!

She was enthusiastic, so hopefully, as of tomorrow, I shall be reading something different to the children, something they may not have even seen before, and I hope I can help water their creativity.

Let us fuel their imagination so we can create the writers of the future.

So… tell me, which chapter book would you recommend for young readers? 😘

Well, I read two chapters of Winnie the Pooh this week, and they seemed to love it! There were a few who can’t sit still, but the majority seemed to enjoy the continuation, and the chance to use their imaginations!

Hi Sis sorry to be coming back on this so late . I think it is a wonderful idea to read to children whatever their age or language. I also love fairytales.
My dear sister Mary who was a nurse was a great believer in reading to patients. She had an extra sense and could honestly tell if someone was terminal ( in her later working years she worked in old people’s homes and hospices) she would sit with them and read . She said they all seemed to relax as she read . I think reading allowed is a wonderful thing.💜💜

Children are more aware than we give them credit. My books are geared for the 8 to 12 set. But I was asked to read from them to a grade one/two class and I was worried they would be too advanced. After I read a chapter one young boy said, “I love the words you used in your story. They painted a picture in my mind.” Amazing. You might try Charlotte’s Web. It works well for Jennie. Kids connect so well to animals. One of my favourites as a child was Black Beauty. Good luck!!

Reading anything at a child’s “level” will likely hold their attention, and there is so much to learn from so many children’s stories. Holding their attention in this manner, is obviously better than losing it in some other perceived need. Simple psychology! You’re doing a great job Ritu! 🙂

This is lovely, i’m still struggling here with the Ipad v maybe kindle book V please just read a book!! I have Doctor Doolittle in my loft behind a wall of boxes, i’m sure it was my dads.
My 5 year old is behind on her reading, she is finding it hard and giving up easily, however she loves looking at the pictures and will often take a book to bed with her. I am reading to both my kids but they don’t always sit and listen.

It is hard to get children’s concentration nowadays for more than a few seconds, unless you have moving images.
That’s why it’s important to persevere. Keep reading, allowing them to use imagination, and learn to just listen, and imagine how the story looks. Take time to talk each section through, to clear misconceptions, and maybe get the child’s view on what they have heard. They have some pretty special interpretations too!!
Keep reading. It is the best thing we can do for our kids!

Doctor Dolittle is terrific. As long as your daughter is looking at books, the joy and interest is there, and the reading will come. In Finland, children don’t get formal instruction in reading till they’re six years old. No pressure when they’re younger. And Finland’s schools have the highest reading rate in world!!

My goodness, Ritu! Thank you!!! I am honored. I dearly love the words of your director, “Let them hear the words….Expose them to everything.” I found “Winnie the Pooh” a little difficult for my little ones. May I recommend “The Story of Doctor Dolittle” by Hugh Lofting? Best to you, Ritu! ❤️

Winnie The Pooh is a wonderful idea, sis! I have no idea about how beneficial which storybooks in English are. I loved reading fairy tales to my kids and they enjoyed listening. Most of all Christmas stories. I ended up reading the same stories during the Christmas season although they already knew them.

This is something I became aware of a while ago. On You Tube, look for an old episode of The Clangers and play it.

I loved The Clangers, absolutely loved it, and it held my attention totally from when I was no age.

When I showed my boys, I was really taken aback by the soohisticed language that’s used (never mind some of the themes). It’s litera worlds away from shows now and you can compare just how dumbed down shows have become.

I think it’s the same with story books. Build up that exposure, let them become familiar with the sounds and syllables